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Summer an be an intense time, and making the most of the long, hot days can take a toll on parents mentally and physically. If taking a holiday from the holidays is not an option, how can we regroup before the new school year starts?

Many of us parents struggle to find time for our creative outlet, especially when we juggle the commitments of an overloaded family schedule with work. It can be difficult to give ourselves the time to create when so many things seem so much more urgent in the moment.

There is an excellent body of research developing that shows the value of drawing as a mindfulness activity. It encourages focus, reduces stress and helps clear the mind. Wendy Ann Greenhalgh wrote "Mindfulness and the Art of Drawing" to explain how the effect of drawing mirrors meditation, and how anyone can benefit, regardless of perceived drawing ability.

Terrific. Another activity to schedule. We can all get up an hour earlier, right?

Enter, the doodle.

Research has found that doodling can be a meditation of a sort.(Photo: Courtesy of Ginger Huebner)

You can doodle when you are on the phone. You can doodle stealthily in a meeting. You can doodle on the back of receipts, torn envelopes and no-longer-sticky post-it notes. You can doodle with your finger in the dust on your windshield, with your fork in some leftover sauce, or turn all of your O’s into tiny smileys. Basically you can doodle just about anywhere.

Those two-second squiggles and spirals and hearts and flowers add up. Over time your body of work (that your curator will describe as being "inscribed on the detritus of a life") will inject some calm into your day, give you space to breathe, and possibly even unearth some creativity that’s been buried under the laundry. Doodling is simple, but it can be powerful. It can also be silly, light hearted, cute, sweet, funny, and a quiet rebellion. In short, doodling can be the holiday from the holidays we needed.

Let the doodling begin!

Share your creations with us on Instagram and use the hashtag #rootswingsarts so we can see your work! #avlkids

Ginger Huebner is the director of Roots + Wings School of Art and Design, www.rootsandwingsarts.com.